Jesus Vega Perez, 22, of Casa Grande, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Perez was convicted by a federal jury on January 19, 2023, of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Importation of Methamphetamine.

On April 2, 2022, Perez drove a 2018 BMW sedan into the United States through the San Luis Port of Entry (POE) in San Luis, Arizona. At the POE, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 30 packages hidden throughout the vehicle. The packages contained a white crystal-like substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. The combined weight of the packages was over 30 pounds. Perez presented, and the jury rejected, a duress defense at trial.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.